MAD FOR MOZ!

The composer's ditties can apparently bring about 'peak experiences' - but Moloko and All Saints are recommended if you're going on a night out...

Listening to EMINEM and MADONNA does less for the brain than a blast of MOZART, according to a new study.

Dr Mike Lowis, senior lecturer in psychology at University College Northampton has found that listening to music can bring about something called ‘peak experiences’ – moments where people experience great awe or joy.

“Peak experiences are usually triggered by sex, taking drugs, being around nature, natural childbirth, or listening to music,” he says. in his survey, carried out on a test group of 364, Dr Lowis found that 85 per cent of people reported a peak experience triggered by music.

Dr Lowis says his research also shows that that classical music lights up the whole brain, compared to pop which only works on one hemisphere. Music, he says, “bypasses all the filters in the brain and goes straight to our emotional centre.

“I recommend that those who are looking for a peak experience try classical,” he tells the Daily Express. “Mozart is a great place to start, but it is a question of trial and error to find what works for you.”

However, several more contemporary pieces are advised for a number of different occasions.

‘Black Coffee’ by All Saints and Moloko’s ‘Sing It Back’ are good when preparing for a night out, while Moby is said to produce ideal dinner party music, full, as it is, of major thirds, low pitch and soft tone.